3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare (Three Crucial Questions)

E. Arnold Clinton

Description

Knowledgeable, accessible answers to these provocative questions: What is spiritual warfare? Can a Christian be demon-possessed? Are we called to engage territorial spirits?

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 août 1997
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781585583393
• Langue: English

Extrait

1997 by Clinton E. Arnold
Published by Baker Academic a division of Baker Publishing Group P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 www.bakeracademic.com
E-book edition created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-58558-339-3
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version . NIV . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
To Brandon
May the good hand of our God be upon you as you begin your walk with Him.
Contents
List of Illustrations
Editors Preface
Author s Preface
List of Abbreviations
1. What Is Spiritual Warfare?
2. Can a Christian Be Demon-Possessed?
3. Are We Called to Engage Territorial Spirits?
Notes
Illustrations
1.1 The Two Ages
1.1 The Two Ages
1.2 Imbalanced View of Evil Influences: Devil s Influence Ignored
1.3 Imbalanced View of Evil Influences: Devil s Influence Exaggerated
1.4 Balanced View of Evil Influences: Biblical Perspective
1.5 The Nature of Evil Influences: Three-Stranded Rope
1.6 Church s Mission: Popular View
1.7 Church s Mission: Biblical View
2.1 The Old Self
2.2 The New Self
2.3 Heart Home
2.4 Sin s Power Points
2.5 Continuum of Demonic Influence
3.1 Extent of the Believer s Authority
Editors Preface
T he books in the 3 Crucial Questions series are the published form of the 3 Crucial Questions Seminars, which are sponsored by Bridge Ministries of Detroit, Michigan. The seminars and books are designed to greatly enhance your Christian walk. The following comments will help you appreciate the unique features of the book series.
The 3 Crucial Questions series is based on two fundamental observations. First, there are crucial questions related to the Christian faith for which imperfect Christians seem to have no final answers. Christians living in eternal glory may know fully even as they are known by God, but now we know only in part (1 Cor. 13:12). Therefore, we must ever return to such questions with the prayer that God the Holy Spirit will continue to lead us nearer to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. While recognizing their own frailty, the authors contributing to this series pray that they are thus led.
Second, each Christian generation partly affirms its solidarity with the Christian past by reaffirming the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3 KJV ). Such an affirmation is usually attempted by religious scholars who are notorious for talking only to themselves or by nonexperts whose grasp of the faith lacks depth of insight. Both situations are unfortunate, but we feel that our team of contributing authors is well prepared to avoid them. Each author is a competent Christian scholar able to share tremendous learning in down-to-earth language both laity and experts can appreciate. In a word, you have in hand a book that is part of a rare series, one that is neither pedantic nor pediatric.
The topics addressed in the series have been chosen for their timelessness, interest level, and importance to Christians everywhere. And the contributing authors are committed to discussing them in a manner that promotes Christian unity. Thus, they discuss not only areas of disagreement among Christians but significant areas of agreement as well. Seeking peace and pursuing it as the Bible commands (1 Peter 3:11), they stress common ground on which Christians with different views may meet for wholesome dialogue and reconciliation.
The books in the series consist not merely of printed words; they consist of words to live by. Their pages are filled not only with good information but with sound instruction in successful Christian living. For study is truly Christian only when, in addition to helping us understand our faith, it helps us to live our faith. We pray therefore that you will allow God to use the 3 Crucial Questions series to augment your growth in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Grant R. Osborne Richard J. Jones, Jr.
Author s Preface
N inety-seven books on the topic of spiritual warfare line one of the shelves in my office. All but a dozen of these have been published in the last ten years. Most of them present some form of deliverance ministry and are full of dramatic and triumphant stories. Others are sounding the alarm about territorial spirits and make suggestions about identifying them and praying against them. A handful of the books react to all the others, insisting that most of what is being said about spiritual warfare is faddish, nutty, and unhealthy for the church.
What are we to think? In spite of all that has been said about spiritual warfare over the past decade, many believers are still troubled by a set of unanswered questions. At the top of the list remains one of the most important questions of all, What does the Bible teach about these issues? Specifically, can a Christian be demon-possessed? Do we really have a responsibility to engage territorial spirits? And, even more foundational, what is spiritual warfare all about?
This book is an attempt to provide biblical, theological, and some church-historical perspectives to these three crucial questions about spiritual warfare. It does not purport to be the final word, but it does endeavor to probe these particular questions more deeply in the light of Scripture than many of the popular works have attempted to do.
My perspective on these issues has not only come out of significant personal study, but also from my participation in the cause of Christ-presenting the gospel, teaching new believers, and helping people to grow in their relationship with and obedience to the Lord. On many counts, my understanding has been deeply enriched by dear friends and colleagues. At the top of the list are Dr. Douglas Hayward, associate professor of anthropology and chair of the department of intercultural studies at Biola University, and Dr. John Kelley, professor of psychology at Rosemead School of Psychology and director of the Biola University counseling center. We have met biweekly for the past three years to discuss the issues surrounding dissociative disorders and demonization and how we might help people gain spiritual health. Perhaps a word of thanks should also be extended to the El Pescador restaurant in La Mirada for keeping our discussions going with an endless supply of tortilla chips, salsa, and iced tea as we have met there over the years.
I also want to express my appreciation to the members of the Spiritual Warfare Network and, especially, to Dr. C. Peter Wagner. Pete and I have maintained an ongoing dialogue over the past six years that has been very helpful. I have been deeply inspired by Pete s evangelistic fervor and especially by his passion for those in the regions of the world missiologists refer to as the 10/40 Window who do not know Christ.
A few other people whom I must mention by name are Dr. Robert Saucy (Talbot School of Theology), Dr. A. Scott Moreau (Wheaton College), Jim Logan (International Center for Biblical Counseling), Dr. Gerry Breshears (Western Seminary), Dr. Ed Murphy (OC Ministries), and some very special people from my church-Debbie Schuster and Sandy Enyart. Certainly not least among those from whom I continue to learn is my most important ministry partner, my wife, Barbara. This list could be extended by two or three pages.
Thanks are also due to Biola University and Talbot School of Theology for extending a sabbatical leave to me during the fall 1995 semester, during which time I wrote a good portion of this book. I am also grateful to Richard Jones and Grant Osborne for creating this fine series and for their insightful contributions as editors.
Abbreviations
CEV
Contemporary English Version
DID
Dissociative Identity Disorder
GNB / TEV
Good News Bible/Today s English Version
KJV
King James Version
Message
The Message: The New Testament in Contemporary English
MPD
Multiple Personality Disorder
NASB
New American Standard Bible
NEB
New English Bible
NIV
New International Version
NKJV
New King James Version
NLT
New Living Translation
NRSV
New Revised Standard Version
RSV
Revised Standard Version
SLSW
Strategic-Level Spiritual Warfare
SRA
Satanic Ritual Abuse
SWN
Spiritual Warfare Network
What Is Spiritual Warfare?
W hat is spiritual warfare all about? Foundational to spiritual warfare is a belief in evil spirits and a desire to get the upper hand on them before they get it on us. For many people, this is all a little too weird to take seriously.
Are We Getting into Something Bizarre?
A variety of images come to mind when demons are mentioned. Some people immediately think of the strange practices they have heard about in other countries or even among immigrants in our own communities. Take, for instance, the city of Fresno in the center of California s agriculturally rich San Joaquin Valley. This city continues to experience an enormous influx of Hmong immigrants from Southeast Asia. The Hmongs are a people who have a vibrant belief in evil spirits. They also have a well-established set of rituals and traditions for dealing with demons. These practices, however, have brought them into conflict with Fresno city authorities. Recently a Hmong shaman tried to appease an angry spirit that he thought was vexing his wife s health. He burned paper money; he sacrificed a chicken and then a pig. When this did not work, he took a three-month-old German shepherd puppy out onto the front porch of his home and, as he cha